We all know about the fall of ID Magazine, but few know the story of its rise. In a Fast Company article entitled "What is Industrial Design?" Tucker Viemeister looks at the birth of the publication, which began all the way back in 1943 and involved his father, the legendary Read Viemeister.

What would later become ID started out as an insert in the November issue of Interiors:

[Charlie Whitney of Whitney Publications] asked Gordon Lippincott if he'd like to be the industrial design editor of Interiors magazine. The industrial design supplement touted the new profession and discussed issues facing the nation after the end of the war: How could the new military inventions be transformed for civilian use? How can designers lead consumer demand? And, "What is Industrial Design?" Each issue focused on a different material: steel, rubber, plastic, etc. ..

Read the full story here.